Brownfields 2003 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Taunton, MA
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability  Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants through four competitive grant programs:
assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup
grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response
programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Taunton was selected to receive an
assessment grant. Located between Boston, Fall River,
and New Bedford, Taunton (population 56,000) is a
former seaport and industrial community. The metal
industries and other commercial and industrial activities
along the Taunton River have declined. The presence of
brownfields along the river is forcing most
development away from the city's downtown. Taunton
has been designated by the state as an Economic Target
Area and an Economic Distressed Area. Historically,
the Weir Village area has been the center of industry in
Taunton and contains the largest concentration of the
city's brownfields. Weir Village is bordered on two
sides by the Taunton  River and is home to almost
one-third of the city's population. The Weir Village
area has the highest concentrations of low-income and
minority residents in the city. The city's goals are to
rejuvenate neighborhoods, promote economic activity,
and create affordable housing.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances

                   EPA has selected the City of Taunton for a
                   brownfields assessment grant. The city will use grant
                   funds to conduct Phase I and Phase II assessments at
                   sites contaminated by hazardous substances
                   throughout the city. Many of the sites to be assessed
                   are expected to be located in the Weir Village
                   industrial center of the city. Grant funds also will be
                   used to conduct community outreach activities.

                   Contacts

                   For further information, including specific grant
                   contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
                   news and events, and publications and links,  visit
                   the EPA Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
                   (617)918-1424
                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site
                   (http: //www. epa.gov/region 1 /brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: City of Taunton,MA
                   (508) 821-1000

                   The information presented in this fact sheet comes
                   from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
                   accuracy of this information. The cooperative
                   agreement for the grant  has not yet been negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA500-F-03-197
        Jun 03

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